College of Agriculture, University of Arizona,
Arizona Land and People, Vol. 47, Number 2
Other Resources for Indian Students at the University
of Arizona
The Native American Student Affairs (NASA) office at the University
of Arizona has been in existence since 1989 and currently serves approximately
600 Native American undergraduate students who represent over 50 first
nation groups throughout the United States and Canada.
The overall mission of NASA is to provide academic intervention and
support; cultural activities; education and outreach; and student leadership
development and programming services on and off campus.
This education and leadership program was developed through a unique
partnership of native peoples, independent high schools, the business
community, and the UA. It was created by former Hopi Tribal Chairman
Vernon Masayesva, in response to urgent educational needs of Arizona
Native American youth and their tribes.
Currently only 17% of Indian high school graduates go on to college,
compared to 62% for the U.S. as a whole. The strategy is to prepare
American Indian students for success in college by placing them in private
high schools. ANSER collaborates with private schools, tribes, families,
businesses, foundations and other entities for additional and/or supplemental
scholarship support.
The average grade point average for all ANSER program students is 3.4.
They represent a variety of tribes from throughout the U.S. The graduation
rate is 95%; all graduates are attending or will be attending colleges
of their choice. ANSER provides mentoring, tutoring and counseling as
support services for the students. The program works under the direction
of the American Indian Studies Department as an educational outreach
program to tribes, and serves as a model for retention in higher education.
The American Indian Graduate Center (AIGC) provides a home-like gathering
place and support program for American Indian graduate and professional
students. Established in 1988, the AIGC supports cultural, academic,
and social activities for American Indian graduate and professional
students at the University of Arizona. The AIGC helps students to access
a special travel fund, a writing program, and a program for individualized
academic assistance.
The Graduate Interdisciplinary Program (IDP) in American Indian Studies
(AISP ) seeks to develop, through research and scholarship, a wider
scope of understanding of the indigenous peoples of the Americas --
their languages, culture, traditions, and sovereignty.
AISP maintains vigorous and productive scholarly activities and fosters
close and extensive interactions with American Indian nations and communities
locally, state-wide, and nationally. The program provides a unique opportunity
for students and scholars to explore contemporary issues on Indian reservations,
focusing on Indian issues from holistic points of view. AISP has strong
ties with community outreach programs and promotes Indian self-determination
as defined by Indian nations, tribes and communities.
AISP offers a Ph.D., Master of Arts and a joint Master of Arts/Juris
Doctor degree. The AISP Community Development Office assists in economic
and educational development and resource identification for Arizona
Indian tribes. Over 36 major ongoing projects and a broad array of resource/technical
assistance efforts have guaranteed that AISP has a significant and visible
presence with tribes and communities across Arizona. Internship opportunities
are available for students.
Ambassador to the Indian Nations and Associate to the President for
American Indian Affairs
American Indian Studies Professor and Associate Director, Mary Jo Tippeconnic
Fox has been asked to assume additional responsibilities by representing
the University of Arizona and its president as Ambassador to the American
Indian Nations and Associate to the President for American Indian Affairs.
As outlined in a July 1999 letter from President Likins, "there are
more than twenty separate programs or organizations at the UA for Native
Americans or American Indians, many of them functioning very effectively
in some sector of the university, and these will continue their separate
operations. Several of these programs are quite active in the tribal
communities, playing important roles in such fields as health care and
agriculture.
"Dr. Fox will play a new role in connecting each of these programs
with the office of the university president and thereby strengthening
their interconnections. She will serve as a single point of contact
for American Indians on campus or in the tribal communities who need
help in accessing available university programs and other resources."
Mary Jo, Comanche and Cherokee, will continue her role as associate
director and professor of American Indian Studies Programs at the University
of Arizona.
The College of Agriculture is working closely with her to enhance the
joint programming between the college, The Navajo Nation and Diné College.
Document part of 1999 Native American Programs in the College of Agriculture
Located at http://ag.arizona.edu/pubs/general/azlp47-2/other_resources.html
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